Geography of Education

Geography Of Education EVERY KID DESERVES A HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOL FIND * COMPARE * ENGAGE Colorado School Grades believes that every student should have access to a top quality education. The following infographic explores how school statistics are related geographically in an effort to uncover trends while working to spread top quality education across the state. 854,046stet 1,700 students attended over Colorado Public Schools in the year 2012. 2 in 5 of these students are located in one of Colorado's top 5 urban centers. DENVER COLORADO SPRINGS AURORA LITTLETON FORT COLLINS OTHER Lets see what that looks like on a map. Schools Across Colorado Each dot represents a school. They are sized by school population, positioned by geographic coordinates then adjusted to enhance readability. Fort Collins Denver Aurora Littleton Colorado Springs Now we can add some color. Visible Minority Demographics Visible minority percentages are defined to include Native American, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Island, and mixed race individuals. Visible Minority Representation by School O 20% O 30% O 60% I90% Schools with the highest representation: -Antonito Junior High School -Kipp Sunshine Peak Academy -Ford Elementary School -West Denver Prep: Federal Campus -Paris Elementary School Free and Reduced Lunch Free and Reduced Lunch Representation by School Free and reduced lunches are available for students 口 20 % 口 40 % O 65% 100% coming from limited financial background. It is used as a proxy for the student family wealth. Schools with the highest representation: -Archuleta County High School -Manny Martinez Middle School -Passage Charter School -Knapp Elementary School -Ridge View Academy Charter School Truancy and Student Attendance Rates Truancy Rates by School Truancy is defined as the total number of student days with unexcused absence divided by the total number of attendance days possible. A high truancy rate can indicate low student engagement. O0.25% O 1% O 2% I 20% Schools with the highest representation: -New America School (Jefferson County) -Life Skills Center of Colorado Springs -Life Skills Center of Denver -Archuleta County High School -New America School (Mapleton) Colorado School Overall Grade Colorado Overall Grades by School A school's overall performance grade is based on academic achievement, academic growth, and academic growth gaps. High schools also include college and career readiness. O B+ How are the grades distributed? -196 Schools in the A range -471 Schools in the B range -885 Schools in the C range -180 Schools in the D range -84 Schools scoring Truancy Rates by School Free and Reduced Lanth Representation by School **s. Noticé Any Patterns? This group of maps highlights the relationship minority representation, free and reduced lunches, truancy and overall grades share. Visible Minority Representation by School Colorado overbur" Grades by School The "High Free and Reduced Lunch Rate" designation represents the 25% of schools who score highest in the free and reduced lunch category. Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Compared with Minority Demographics High Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Schools All Other Schools Visible Minority Representation (76.2%) AllL Other Students (23.8%) Visible Minority Representation (50.1%) ALL Other Students (69.9%) Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Compared with Truancy Rate Average Truancy Rate in High Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Schools Average Truancy Rate in All Other Schools 2.40% 0.95% Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Compared with Overall Grade High Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Schools All Other Schools C- and Lower (49.6%)Cand Higher (50.4%)| C-and Lower (15.6%) Cand Higher (84.4%) So what does all of this mean? It is important for all stakeholders in Colorado Public Education to be aware that most visible minority students and students from a strained financial background live in a few well defined areas. Unfortunately, the schools in these areas are plagued with low student engagement, a poor overall score and should absolutely be the focus of improvement initiatives moving forward. For more information, visit: Sources: ColoradoSchoolGrades.com Putting our kids first. Where they betong. www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/truancystatistics.htm www.coloradoschoolgrades.com www.kaggle.com/c/visualize-thestate-of-education-in-colorado All analysis is based on the most recent school year's (2011-2012) data. Created by: Matthew Kielo mkieloauwaterloo.ca